This dynamic and ever-evolving action plan delineates the objectives, actions, and indicators that will contribute to the inclusion of all members of the Faculty including members who experience historical and ongoing racism and discrimination in programs, policies, procedures, and decision-making processes.
Note that this action plan is inspired by McGill University's 2020-2025 strategic plan for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
1. Student Experience
Objective
Increase capacity of teaching staff, administrative staff, and students to create and sustain inclusive, accessible, and antiracist student experiences and learning environments.
Actions
- Provide every year series of workshops associated with EDI, accessibility, and antiracism to teaching staff administrative staff, and students.
- Provide every year opportunities for continuous conversations between teaching staff, administrative staff, and students around EDI, accessibility, and racism.
- Work closely with schools to develop and implement appropriate strategies conducive to sustainable inclusive, equitable, and antiracist student experiences during practicum.
- Develop and implement appropriate strategies conducive to sustainable inclusive, equitable, and antiracist student experiences associated with plagiarism.
Indicators
- Number and diversity of workshops associated with EDI, accessibility, and antiracism offered every year to students.
- Number of provided opportunities and number of people in attendance.
- Number of Notices of Difficulty and Terminations of Practicum associated with Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Number of cases of plagiarism associated with Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
Objective
Increase student wellness, success, and support, especially for those from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
Actions
- Create more scholarships for students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Ensure prompt, effective, supportive, and confidential channels to address concerns and complaints associated with EDI, accessibility, and racism.
- Designate accessible space for activities promoting success and wellness for students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
Indicators
- Number of available scholarships and amount of money available for these scholarships
- Satisfaction level of students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Creation of an accessible space for activities promoting success and wellness for students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
Objective
Increase capacity to document the experiences of students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities at the Faculty of Education.
Action
Develop and implement appropriate strategies to document the experiences of students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
Indicator
Access to information associated with the experiences of students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
Objective
Increase capacity to provide mentoring, networking, and advancement opportunities for students from Indigenous, racialized, and other underrepresented communities.
Actions
- Create mentorship network that addresses the experiences, needs, and interests of students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Develop opportunities for students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities to share experiences, and explore career opportunities and pathways.
Indicators
- Mentorship network that addresses the experiences, needs, and interests of students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Number of opportunities provided and number of people who benefit from them.
2. Research
Objective
Increase capacity of Vice-Dean Research’s office to establish and maintain equitable, accessible, inclusive, and antiracist research environments.
Actions
- Provide training to the staff of the Vice-Dean Research office on EDI, accessibility, and antiracism in connection with research activities.
- Provide opportunities conducive to continuous conversations around the development of EDI, accessibility, and antiracist practices for researchers.
- Provide advise and guidance for researchers to integrate strong EDI, accessibility and antiracist plans within research.
- Share with central administration the challenges and experiences of researchers from Indigenous, racialized, and other underrepresented communities within the Faculty of Education.
- Promote diversity of research activities through Faculty of Education’s channels.
Indicators
- Number and diversity of workshops associated with EDI, accessibility, and antiracism offered to staff of the Vice-Dean Research’s office.
- Number of provided opportunities and number of people in attendance.
- Number of grant proposals that integrate strong EDI, accessibility, and antiracist plans.
- Information associated with the experiences of researchers from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities is shared with central administration to find solutions to concrete barriers and problems.
- Various research approaches are featured through Faculty of Education’s communication channels.
Objective
Implement equitable representation of individuals from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities among chairholders and recipients of grants, and awards.
Actions
- Support diverse research epistemologies and methodologies through internal grants, including the ones from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented groups.
- Review Faculty Award selection criteria for research prizes and awards to ensure nominations include equitable representation of researchers from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Implement training on non-traditional research and other means of ensuring members of nomination and selection committees better understand the resources, benefits, and other implications of such research approaches.
- Establish EDI accessibility, and anti-racist funding opportunities and ensure that these funding opportunities are identified and shared with Faculty members.
Indicators
- Ration of submitted vs. funded projects to the Research Committee and joint university funding programs that adopt non-traditional research epistemologies and methodologies.
- Nominations for Faculty Awards pertaining to research that include equitable representation of researchers from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented groups.
- Members of nomination and selection committees understand the resources, benefits, and other implications of such research approaches.
- EDI accessibility, and anti-racist funding opportunities are established, and information associated with these funding opportunities is shared with Faculty members.
3. Programs
Objective
Increase capacity to provide equitable access to programs for members of Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
Actions
- Review admission process to ensure equitable access to members from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Develop and implement appropriate strategies to document the admissions of students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Ensure members of Indigenous, racialized disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities have equitable access to admission and merit scholarships.
Indicators
- Number of students from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Access to information associated with the admission of members of Indigenous, racialized disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Number of members of Indigenous, racialized disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities who are granted admission and merit scholarships.
Objective
Increase capacity to provide relevant teaching to members of Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
Actions
- Review course outline to ensure relevancy of course content, expectations, and material to members of Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Increase collaboration in planning and developing courses among teaching staff with focus on inclusive, equitable, and antiracist, teaching and assessing practices.
- Develop and implement courses and concentrations associated with EDI, accessibility, and antiracist education.
Indicators
- Number of course outlines whose content, expectations, and material are relevant to members of Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Number of collaborations in planning and developing courses among teaching staff with focus on inclusive, equitable, and antiracist, teaching and assessing practices.
- Number of courses and concentrations associated with EDI, accessibility, and antiracist education.
4. Outreach
Objective
Increase the development of effective communications and collaborations with local, national, and international communities and partners about EDI, accessibility, and antiracism challenges, initiatives, and celebrations.
Actions
- Develop effective communications (e.g., a website, social media) about EDI, accessibility, and antiracism challenges, initiatives, local, national, and international communities, and partners.
- Publish regular EDI, accessibility, and antiracist features in the Dean’s newsletter.
- Ensure accessibility of current and future communications and spaces.
- Develop effective collaborations about EDI, accessibility, and antiracism challenges, initiatives, and successes with local, national, and international communities and partners.
- Develop partnerships, co-sponsorships, and opportunities for representation and engagement of various communities in events such as Black History Month, Indigenous Awareness Weeks, Queer History Month.
- Consult local, national, and international communities, and partners particularly those underserved by higher education institutions, to discern needs with respect to knowledge production and capacity development.
Indicators
- Effectiveness of communication about EDI, accessibility, and antiracism challenges, initiatives, as well as local, national, and international communities and partners.
- EDI, accessibility, and antiracist information are regularly featured in the Dean’s newsletter.
- Accessibility of current and future communications and spaces.
- Number of collaborations about EDI, accessibility, and antiracism challenges, initiatives, and successes with local, national, and international communities and partners.
- Number of partnerships, co-sponsorships, and opportunities for representation and engagement of various communities in events such as Black History Month, Indigenous Awareness Weeks, Queer History Month.
- Number of consultations with local, national, and international communities, and partners particularly those underserved by higher education institutions, to discern needs with respect to knowledge production and capacity development.
5. Workforce
Objective
Increase diversity of teaching and administrative staff.
Actions
- Review hiring process to ensure equitable access to a position to members from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Develop and implement appropriate strategies to document the experiences of teaching and administrative staff from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Train teaching and administrative staff on employment EDI, accessibility, and antiracist principles, policies, and practices using multiple formats.
Indicators
- Number of teaching and administrative staff from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Access to information associated with the experiences of teaching and administrative staff from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Number of training opportunities associated with EDI, accessibility, and antiracist principles, policies, and practices provided to teaching and administrative staff.
Objective
Increase opportunities for mentoring, networking, and advancement options for teaching and administrative staff from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
Actions
- Create mentorship network that addresses the experiences, needs, and interests of teaching and administrative staff from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Develop opportunities for teaching and administrative staff from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities to share experiences, and explore career opportunities and pathways.
- Create prompt, effective, accountable, supportive, and confidential channels to address concerns and complaints associated with EDI, accessibility, and racism.
Indicators
- Mentorship network that addresses the experiences, needs, and interests of students of teaching and administrative staff from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
- Number of opportunities provided and number of people who benefit from them.
- Satisfaction level of teaching and administrative staff from Indigenous, racialized, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and other underrepresented communities.
6. Physical space
Objective
Create dedicated spaces for Faculty’s community members’ spiritual, social, and wellness needs.
Action
Designate accessible non-denominational contemplative space for individual or group meditation, spiritual needs, and other activities promoting mental and emotional wellness.
Indicator
Creation of an accessible non-denominational contemplative space for individual or group meditation, spiritual needs, and other activities promoting mental and emotional wellness.
Objective
Enhance Indigenous presence in public spaces, as well as the availability of cultural and living spaces for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff.
Action
Define and implement a global space strategy for all Indigenous needs, including academic, communal, study, and cultural functions.
Indicator
Number of spaces for all Indigenous needs, including academic, communal, study, and cultural functions.
Objective
Reflect diverse identities within the communal spaces.
Action
Define and implement a global space strategy to reflect diverse identities within the communal spaces.
Indicator
Reflection of diverse identities within communal spaces.